Pride My Ass!

Pride. Initially defined as a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure in what you have done, or in what someone connected to you has done. Not necessarily a bad thing. The context in which the word is mostly used nowadays, however, doesn’t make it look so good anymore.

Ask random people what they feel makes them proud and you’ll probably get answers stating they’re “proud to be born in this country”, “proud to be a fan of the local football team” or “proud to be a - insert any occupation here -”.

Let’s have a look at one of the worst excuses to be proud first. What I’m talking about is being proud of your country. Patriotism is the one single most stupid thing I can imagine. It even beats feeling the flat iron with your cheek to see if it’s turned on or pissing against a steel fence to see if it’s electric as far as I’m concerned.

I’m not saying I don’t like it where I live. In fact, I think there are very few places in the world where you have more civic liberties. That doesn’t make me proud to be born here, though.

What is there to be proud of? Are you seriously telling me that you’re proud that your ancestors fucked in a certain place for generations that happens to be situated where it makes you a citizen of some nation now? Wow, what an accomplishment.

It must suck to be you if you don’t have any qualities that make you feel good about yourself besides something that didn’t even require any effort from you.

Why are you even proud of the country you live in of all the 194 countries there are? And what makes you more fit to be proud of your country than I could be, even if I live on the other side of the planet? I could be proud of your country for not getting sick from having you live in it for years. How’s that?

I say, let’s all be proud of Zimbabwe for a change. If nothing else, so just for having such a cool name. Deal?

Even loving your country, as inane as that seems, sounds better than being proud of it. I could almost put myself in someone’s position, who has lived at the same place for all his life and mistakes the fond memories he associates with his environment for love for the country or something.

Wait, on second thought, that’s pretty wacky too. Forget it...

And don’t get me started on the “white pride” movement and shit like that. The fact that people who cultivate that way of thinking are one beer short of a six pack goes without saying. At least I hope so.

Pride is one of the most overrated traits ever. In fact, there’s nothing good coming from being proud. All it could do is get you in trouble for no reason at all.

For instance, let’s say you fell on hard times financially. Now imagine, and I know this hard to do for some of you, that you’re not a total lowlife without any friends and there are actually people who like you and who are willing to help you out. So what do you do? Rejoice and get all emotional over knowing such kind people? No way. Of course you reject any offers and continue your way on the downward spiral. Why? Because you’re a fucking mor... I mean, because you’re proud!

That’s right. Even outside of sappy Hollywood flicks there are actually people who think it’s better to save face and go down, than to swallow your pride and accept help if necessary. A very useful thing, this pride, huh?

And just think of the many times you got into fights because someone insulted something or someone you’re supposed to defend as a proud man. And for what reason? Really, who fucking cares if some punk talks bad about your dead mother? You either want to beat the crap out of someone or you don’t, but don’t do it just because he ruffled your ego with empty words. Whether I respect someone or think he’s a stupid prick shouldn’t depend on if he’s treating me nice or trying to hurt my non-existent pride.

Pride is unhealthy through and through. Without it, what would be the big deal about working most of the so called shitty jobs? Low salary of course, but is that really what makes some of the garbagemen, the plumbers or the cleaners of this world lie about their jobs? I don’t think so. I’m not saying everybody should become a prostitute now, but what’s bad about doing dirty work? Fuck your pride and everyone who tells you you’re lacking it.

Another phenomenon is the people who use pride as an excuse for their personal circumstances, thus making up crap like “working class pride”. Yeah right, you want it that way. I’m sure you wouldn’t ever trade your job for a highly-paid position in a large-scale enterprise.

I’d almost take pride in saying that I don’t have any pride, but I guess that would make me a hypocrite and that’s finally something I’ve never heard anyone claim to be proud of.

Any comments? Drop me a line here.